New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-17
On. MEREDITH'S NEW CHURCH
CHANGING FROM BOSTON TO BROOKLYN.
TO SUCCEED DR. PENTECosT IN THE ToMpKINs

gregationai and to-day its pastor. the Rev. Dr.
r. r. Meredith. will begin his work there. lie sue
ceeds Dr. George +. Peutecost who gave up pastoral
labor last winter to reenter the field OF evangelical
work Dr. Meredith goes to Brooklyn from Boston,
where be has OF the leading ministers for the
last ten years.
north of Ireland but he to THE country with his
parents while young. HIS youthful inclination led
him to go to but at the OF eighteen his course
Of life was changed by strong religious convictions
and he decided to enter the ministry in the Methodist
Church To prepare for his work he spent three years
In study at the Biblical Institute ut Concord N. H.,
which atterwsrd became the nucleus of the Boston
University While studying he preached in neighbor-
ing villages. At the outbreak of the wal he enlisted
and after ward became captain In the 153d New.
York Volunteers. When he returned from the he
entered the Methodist Episcopal timer ant ministry,
and for ten years served SUCCESSFULLY churches in
Troy, Newark Cincinnati and Hartford.
While pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal
Church in Hartford in 1873 he resigned to accept
call to the Phillips Congregational Church in Boston,
making an exchange Of denominations. DE had
previously taken great interest In Sunday school
work, and after his settlement in Boston ne
invited to take charge OF the Bible class meeting on
Saturday afternoons in Wesleyan Hail. which after
ward grew to the assemblage of 250C or 5000
persons who assembled every week in fremont
Temple to hear his inspiring discourses upon the In
ternatoDai Series of Sunday school Lessons In this
work he is to be rcceedcd by George W. Cable, the
Meredith resigned to take charge OF the Union Church
in 1883. 1t struggling under load of debt and
the membership Was small Under Dr. Meredith the
debt of 1886, 900 has been paid, the membership LAS
been doubled and the pew rents have been largely
increased. The departure OF their pa tor is grestly
lamented by the church and the Bible class. The
former increased his salary from $4,000 to $1,000
year and the unpaid balance of the debt raised to
induce him to remain. From the class he received
1880 a year and more was offered to get him to
stsy. The Tompkins Avenue Church will give him
$1,000, the same that Or. Psntccost received When
1t first learned that he would go to Brooklyuit
was expected that he would organize Saturday
Bible class there but he says that will under
take that work again in connection with pastoral
duties, as the strain is too great
In personal appearance DR.. Meredith is type of the
muscular Christian He is sturdy and robust with
fine preseucG and forceiul delivery. He dramatic
ia in the pulpit, and shows the earnestness OF
his beliefs in his utterances. In theology he Is
thoroughly orthodox. DIR. Meredith is now forty niue
years OF age aud in the full vgor OF his powers He
thlks he Is GOOD tor tteen more years OF hard work
Two of his brothers IN the Methodist ministry and
of them once served the Simpson Methodist Eps-
copal Church In Brooklyn DIR. Meredith received his
degree from Dartmouth College in 1882. He ha, leo
tured at Chautauoua. N. w. and Crete, Neb., before
SundayschOol assemb es. and has addressed Students
In various theological seminares His writings have
been chiefly on Sunday- topics, and be mas
edited d" Lesson Helps"
The church OF which Di. Meredith takes charge in
Brookyu is the fourth in point of size among the Cou
gregational churches of that city, being exceeded In
numbers only by Plymouth. the Genital and the
Chut oh Of the Pilgrims 1t has handsome edifce at
Tompk aud Electromagnetic. in a growing part
OF the Twenty-third Ward, and 10 sreetcar aud
rapid transit lines. In its inception fifteen years ago
the organization Presbyterian, and Dr. Frederick
G. Clark. who recently died in Brook n, wac its
pastor A fne brick church and chapel adjoining we're
erected at cost not tar from 1000. the greater
part of which was covered by mortgage given to
lie insurance company The prospects OF the society
we're favorable until the panic of 1873 occurred
Then spme of the leading members were crippled and
could not fulfill their obligations the church. aud
"a I,
seriously Darrassed The result the lore
closure OF the mortgage upon the property aud the
leasing of IL by the members But the church organ
izaiion could not be sustained and number VI resi-
OF the neehoobood decided In 1875 TO organize
The result was the formation OF the Tompkins Avenue
Congregst al church. OF which the Rev. Charles d.
ssa Tart ct Of sa Be % had Sosn
by malaria. aud although the church was recognized
Sv =. ..snsd s7s and asd the following
year. From az members the church grew 10 20
uDasr his pastorare His successor was the Rev
Samuel II. Freeland. of Newton, Mass Tut he
resigned within year, the church membership then
being X72 At that time financial difficulties pressed
strongly upon the congregation. and they were only
OF great ability must be secured or the enterprise
While pastorless the pulpit was filed by Dr. George
+. Pentecost who had resigned from the warren
Avenue Baptist Church In Boston three years before
was made by him thst the church gave hin call
although he was still nominay, at least Baptist
He accepted 1t on November 30 1880. the under
standing being that his views In regard to infant BAL
tisn were to DO regarded by the church. For this
ceremony he substituted the conservation OF mia ats
After filling the pplpt ior WS ana the 1a
tionaI standard for his installation by council at
which DIR. Stoirs preached.
DR.. PentecOst soon filled the church and enabled the
congregation the money necessary to purchase
the ediice. The of $40 100 was paid for 1t and
Dr. Pentecost himself bought the parsonage adjoining
In addition his pulpit and pastoral work Dr. Pente-
cost gathered mist ion congregation In the twenty
first Ward and built the Gospel Chapel at Marcy and
Park aves. which is partly supported by the IoGp
kns Avenue Church. he also preached on sunday
afternoons in the Academy OF Music tor several
sessons gathering large congregations One year ne
spent six months in London assisting Mr. Moody IN
evangestic work. year ago he decided to give his
whole time to the work of evangelist. At hrst it
thought he could remain pastor in name OF the
Ton pkns Avenue Church while going out a. mes
sepger to other churches, and an assistant pastor
could be employed to carry on the church work.
But no suitable could he .ouni to take the sub
ordinate place, SO DIR. Pentecost resigned ana has
since been engaged ID conducting special services in
various cities For this month he is filling the nuipit
of the Central Congregational Church In Brooklyn.
In his six years work in the rompkins Avenue Church
the property bought and PAID tor in iull, and
J. il6 members weie added to the church membership
When be resigned thcre were 954 names on the roll
His salary vas $1,000 a year, and at the council
check of tue treasurer was always on has desk in
advance OF the time that it Was due Last year the
r,ea sna al s are C. d. Wood
Augustus C.. Tate, Charles Rustoa Peter Palmer
Theodore r. Davis, q. w. Hebard. Eawin p. lde,
Charles D. Pratt ii. c. Ostrander, +. w. Jesup
Nathaniel Norton, w. ~ Leach, Henry I. Holt John
E. Fray, L. h Strouse end }. Fl. X. Blauyelt. Up to
the his death last spring General Henry Heath
was clerk of the church. Since bis removal To the
house formerly occupied by Henry w. Sage, in ST.
Msrks-ave, A. S. Barnes, the wel-known publisher
who was formerly leading supporter of the Gin
ton Avenue Congre gstona Church, has attended the
Tompkus Avenue services.
DR.. Meredith will be sure of hearty welcome by
his new people. Arrangements Will be made for his
installation in . short time. He was strongly urged
to accept the call OF tho church by Dr. Pentecost and
other members OF the Manhattan Congregational
Association, of which Drs Storrs Taylor Behrends,
lngersoll. Cobb, Clapp, Coe Gilman. Ward. Lyman
and Mcleod are leading members. DIR. Storrs person
sha 81 h. nan hon